This is a great exercise for working the small, detailed muscles of the upper back that get easily overwhelmed when using heavier weights on rows and pulldowns. This positioning allows you to really put great focus on those smaller muscles.

If you have trouble with your shoulders pulling/hunching forward, DO THIS EXERCISE. It directly targets those postural muscles that help pull things back into alignment.

You’ll set an incline bench under and a little back from a high pulley. Use a wide grip handle and a light weight on the machine – this is all about FEEL, not lifting heavy.

Grab the bar with a wide grip then sit on the bench.

The MOST important thing here is that only your butt and the BACK OF YOUR HEAD will be on the bench. Your entire back and your shoulders should be OFF the bench.

Because as you pull the bar down towards your chest, you’re going to be using the back of your head as the base to push your chest towards the bar at the same time.

So as you pull down and the bar meets your chest, hold the bar there then focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together HARD. Remember, this exercise is all about feel – the idea here is to take the BIG muscles out of it and just focus on using the smaller ones (like the teres minor and major, rhomboids, middle traps, etc) rather than the lats. Pulling your shoulder blades in while keep your elbows out wide and forcing your chest out will do this.

Repeat this for high reps. Since you’re going to be using light weight (that’s mandatory!), you’ll need the high reps to get a good training effect. Using heavier weight will force your body to recruit the lats to a greater extent, which is what we want to avoid with this exercise.

As I mentioned above, it’s excellent for the postural muscles that pull your shoulders back into alignment. It’s also GREAT for developing the detailed muscles of your upper back that don’t get worked effectively with heavier training.

Just remember…NO BACK ON THE BENCH…just the back of your head and your butt…that’s it.

Nick Nilsson, a.k.a. the "Mad Scientist of Exercise", is the author of 9 training books, such as "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" series, and "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss", which you can find at his site: http://www.fitness-ebooks.com

Nick has been in the fitness and bodybuilding industry more than 18 years, and has degrees in Physical Education and Psychology, covering advanced biomechanics, kinesiology, physiology, anatomy and sports psychology, and has written for magazines such as Muscle & Fitness, Mens Fitness, Mens Health, Reps, along with numerous bodybuilding websites.

One Response for Incline Bench Pulldowns For Upper Back, Shoulders and Improving Posture

I like it, especially since the cervical extensors are involved, but not overloaded like they are in a lot of exercises that target them. I always feel like they're a weak point for most people, especially in heavy rowing. Great stuff!